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THEORETICAL 


AND 


ON  GLASS  AND  PAPER; 


WITH  POSITIVE  RULES  FOR  OBTAINING 


INTENSE  NEGATIVES  WITH  CERTAINTY. 


By  IP.  B.  Gra&e 


NEW  YORK: 

PUBLISHED  BY  S.  D.  HUMPHREY. 
P859, 


f ^ 

t K r q r r •' 

I •'tOLnHUn  c. 


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■1  OJOtt  i U liHI  . /-jn  V| 

' ( 

■ \ 

\) 

Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1S59,  by  S.  D.  Humphrey, 
in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States, 
for  the  Southern  District  of  New  York. 


*////; s3*J>sfc  '*/£>.  2* 


CONTENTS 


PAGES. 

PREFACE,  - - - - - 5 

Chapter  I. 

CLEANING  OF  TUE  GLASS  ON  "WHICH  THE  PICTURE  IS 
TO  BE  MADE: 

Embracing  Various  Formula  for  the  Preparation  of  the 


Chemicals  used, 7-12 

Fixing  Solution, 12-13 


Chapter  II. 


PHOTOGRAPHIC  PRINTING  : 

Salting  Solution — Formula  for,  -%  -----  - 15-18 

Ammonia  Nitrate — Formula  for,  -------  18-20 

Toning  Bath— Formula  for, 20-21 

Mounting  the  Print,  - --  --  --  - 21-22 


Chapter  III. 

THEORY  OF  THE  NEGATIVE  PROCESS: 23-31 

Chapter  IV. 

COLLODION  FORMULAE: 

Negative  Collodion  for  Views  — Formula  No.  2,  - - - 33-36 

Alcoholic  Negative  Collodion — Formula  No  3,  - 36-38 

Chapter  V. 

REMEDY  FOR  FOGGY  NITRATE  BATHS,  - 89-46 

Chapter  VI. 

WASHING  PRINTS  : 

Various  Processes  Discussed,  ...  ...  47-51 

Chapter  VII. 

FAILURES  AND  THEIR  CAUSES: 

Fully  Considered,  and  Remedies  pointed  out, 


53-60 


_ 2. 


’ 


: f ' 1 1 ' ■' 


I i ••  .irtiJ 


PREFACE. 


This  work  was  written  more  especially  for  the  use  of  Amateurs, 
or  beginners  in  the  Photographic  Art ; yet  it  is  hoped,  and  confi- 
dently expected,  that  much  matter  will  be  found  in  its  pages  which 
will  prove  useful  and  valuable,  not  only  to  the  Neophyte,  but  also 
to  those  who  have  reached  the  advanced  stages  of  Photographic 
Science — whether  it  be  the  professional  man,  or  the  savan  who 
pursues  the  beautiful  Art  of  “ Sun-penciling,”  con  amove. 

The  theory  of  light-iodizing  here  advanced,  is  different  from  any- 
thing heretofore  published,  and  will  be  found,  in  practice,  to  give 
better  results — it  is  confidently  asserted — than  any  hitherto  placed 
before  the  public. 

Every  part  touched  upon,  is  intended  to  be  made  as  plain  and 
easily  comprehended  as  possible,  that  the  inexperienced  may  suc- 
ceed, by  its  aid,  in  producing  satisfactory  proofs;  and  should  the 
experimenter  achieve  but  a tithe  of  the  success  which  has  attended 
the  working  of  this  Process  in  the  hands  of  its  originator,  the  result 
cannot  prove  otherwise  than  gratifying  to  both  parties — to  the 
Experimenter,  in  the  superiority  of  his  products  over  old  modes  of 
operating — and  to  the  Author,  in  having  contributed  his  mite 
toward  rendering  smooth  and  easy  the  rugged  path  of  Photographic 
Science  ; and  by  extending  encouragement  to  others,  increase  the 
number  of  its  followers,  in  the  hope  of  ultimately,  at  no  distant  day, 
achieving  that  triumph  of  perfection , which  the  manifold  and  con- 
stantly-developing beauties  of  the  Art  warrant  all  in  looking  for- 
ward to.  This  should  prove  the  incentive  and  aim  of  every  true 
lover  of  ^Esthetic  Beauty. 

THE  AUTHOR. 

May  1,  1859. 


M 


. 

: 


# 


NEGATIVE  COLLODION  PROCESS. 


CHAPTER  I. 


Tiie  Negative  Collodion  Process  consists  in  coat- 
ing a glass  with  a transparent  film  of  Collodion,  which  is 
rendered  sensitive  to  the  action  of  light.  The  glass  so 
prepared  is  exposed  to  the  image  of  the  camera,  and  the 
latent  impression  so  formed  is  rendered  visible  by  a develop- 
ing agent.  The  first  operation  is  the 


CLEANING  OF  THE  GLASS  ON  WHICH  TIIE  PICTURE 
IS  TO  RE  MADE. 

Take  a glass  of  the  size  which  your  picture  is  to  be,  and 
roughen  the  edges  with  a file  or  piece  of  glass.  Then  rub 
it  over  with  a dilute  solution  of  Nitric  Acid  (1  part  acid 
to  10  parts  water),  then  wash  off  the  Acid  thoroughly,  and 
wipe  the  glass  with  a linen  towel  which  has  been  washed 
in  sal  soda  water  and  rinsed  until  it  is  free  from  soda, 
and  dried.  Wipe  the  glass  perfectly  dry  and  then  place  it 
on  a clean  sheet  of  paper,  or  in  a vise  prepared  for  the  pur- 
pose, and  drop  on  a few  drops  of  burning  fluid,  which  must 
be  polished  off  quickly  and  thoroughly  with  a piece  of  cot- 


8 


PRACTICAL  PHOTOGRAPHY, 


ton  flannel.  The  next  operation  is  the  Coating  of  the  Plate 
with  Collodion,  prepared  as  follows  : 


Sulphuric  Ether  (cone.)  .... 

- n 

07. 

Alcohol,  95  per  cent.  - 

- 2.} 

07. 

Iodide  Potassium,  ..... 

- 25 

grs. 

Bromide  Potassium,  .... 

- 18 

grs. 

Gun  Cotton, 

- 30 

grs. 

In  preparing  this  Collodion,  the  Bromide  of  Potassium  i3 
first  dissolved  in  as  little  water  as  possible , and  the  Iodide  of 
Potassium  is  then  to  be  added  to  the  same  water  and  dis- 
solved. It  is  then  to  be  poured  into  the  Collodion  (Ether 
and  Alcohol),  and  well  shaken  up  before  the  Gun  Cotton  is 
added.  Then  set  it  away  and  let  it  stand  until  the  white 
precipitate  is  all  settled,  after  which  it  can  be  decanted, 
and  then  add  the  Gun  Cotton  and  dissolve.  It  can  be 
filtered  as  soon  as  the  Cotton  is  all  dissolved  and  is  ready  for 
use.  It  is  better  after  standing  a few  days. 

The  method  of  using  this  is,  to  take  the  glass,  prepared 
as  before  described,  and  remove  all  particles  of  dust  with 
a camel’s  hair  duster.  Now  hold  the  glass  horizontally 
in  your  left  hand,  with  the  left-hand  corner  between  your 
thumb  and  forefinger.  Pour  on  enough  of  the  Collodion 
to  cover  the  glass.  Now  tilt  the  plate,  and  pour  back  the 
superabundance  of  Collodion  into  the  vial  again  (it  should 
be  poured  off  from  the  corner  opposite  from  the  one  held 


ON  GLASS  AND  PAPER. 


0 


in  the  fingers).  As  soon  as  the  Collodion  on  the  glass  runs 
slowly  over,  before  it  commences  to  set,  tilt  the  plate  back 
to  a nearly  horizontal  position  and  give  it  a rotary,  or 
rocking  motion,  to  cause  the  lines  to  coalesce  and  render 
the  film  free  from  ridges.  As  soon  as  the  film  is  sufficiently 
dry  or  set  (which  can  be  told  by  touching  the  film  with  the 
fingers,  it  being  just  dry  enough  to  receive  the  impression 
of  the  finger  without  breaking  the  film),  it  is  to  be  im- 
mersed in  the  Nitrate  of  Silver  solution,  which  is  prepared 
in  the  following  proportions : 

Nitrate  of  Silver,  in  crystals,  - - - - 1 oz. 

Water, 12  oz. 

Iodide  Potassium, 6 grs. 

Dissolve  the  Silver  in  the  12  oz.  water,  and  then  add 
the  Iodide  Potassium  (it  having  been  dissolved  in  as  little 
water  as  possible),  and  shake  thoroughly.  Then  dissolve 
10  grains  of  Caustic  Potash  in  2 drachms  of  water,  and 
add  to  the  solution.  It  may  now  be  filtered  through  clean 
filtering  paper,  and  it  is  ready  for  use. 

It  is  probable  that  the  picture  taken  in  the  batli  while 
in  this  condition  would  be  foggy,  by  having  a veiled  ap- 
pearance over  the  entire  surface.  This  is  caused  by  the 
bath  being  alkaline  from  the  caustic  potash  used.  This 
can  be  remedied  by  adding  Nitric  Acid  (C.  P.)  until  it 

works  clear  and  free  from  fogginess. 

1* 


10 


PRACTICAL  PHOTOGRAPHY, 


For  this  purpose  keep  a vial  of  the  Silver  solution  (say 
about  ^ an  ounce),  to  which  has  been  added  30  drops  of 
the  C.  P.  Nitric  Acid.  This  can  be  put  into  the  bath 
when  needed,  and  will  cause  no  precipitate.  Care  must 
be  taken  not  to  get  too  much  acid  in  the  bath,  as  that  would 
destroy  the  intensity  of  the  Negative,  and  cause  the  pic- 
ture to  develop  too  slowly,  both  in  the  camera  and  dark 
room.  Acetic  Acid  should  never  be  used : it  works  too 
slowly,  and  is  not  capable  of  producing  so  fine  and  sharp 
a Negative. 

In  this  Process,  there  is  a point  where  the  solution  has 
just  passed  over  the  verge  of  the  alkaline,  into  the  neutral , 
or  faintly-acid  state,  that  the  pictures  will  work  beautiful- 
ly clear  and  brilliant. 

The  Litmus  Paper  will  not  be  any  test  in  finding  this 
point.  It  can  only  be  arrived  at  by  taking  repeated  im- 
pressions and  adding  minute  quantities  of  Acid  until  the 
point  is  reached. 

After  this  has  once  become  familiar,  the  alkalinity  of 
the  bath  can  always  be  rectified  in  a few  minutes,  with 
certainty. 

The  Plate,  being  immersed  in  this  solution,  is  to  remain 
two  or  three  minutes,  or  until  it  appears  free  from  all 
greasiness  when  removed  therefrom. 

This  operation  of  Silvering  the  Plate  is  performed  in  a 
dusk  room,  by  the  dim  light  of  a lamp,  or  in  a room  lighted 


ON  GLASS  AND  PAPER. 


11 


\ 


by  yellow  rays.  (See  Yellow  Light,  page  59.)  The 
plate,  when  it  comes  from  the  bath,  is  to  be  placed  in  the 
tablet,  Collodion  side  next  the  slide,  and  the  door  closed,  to 
exclude  all  light.  The  object  to  be  taken  is  now  to  be 
focused  and  the  tablet  placed  in  the  camera,  and  the  sen- 
sitive surface  exposed  to  the  luminous  image. 

After  exposure,  the  tablet  is  removed  from  the  camera 
and  transferred  to  the  dark  room,  and  the  Developing  So- 
lution poured  over  it.  The  Developing  Solution  is  made 

as  follows : 

% 

Sulphate  of  Iron, 3 oz. 

Water, 1 q;*r. 

Acetic  Acid  (No.  8), 6 oz. 

This  solution  is  to  be  filtered  through  sponge,  and  it  is 
ready  to  be  used. 

It  should  be  poured  on  at  one  corner,  in  such  a manner 
that  it  will  shoot  over  the  surface  of  the  picture  in  every 
direction,  so  that  the  developing  may  commence  at  all 
parts  at  nearly  the  same  instant.  This  is  now  to  be  kept 
in  motion  (a  gentle  rocking  motion),  and  is  to  remain  on 
until  the  deepest  shades  make  their  appearance.  It  is 
then  to  be  thoroughly  washed,  with  running  water,  the 
back  being  rubbed  with  the  hand,  to  remove  any  deposit 
that  may  adhere  to  it. 


12 


PRACTICAL  PHOTOGRAPHY, 


The  Iodide  of  Silver  is  now  to  be  removed  by  immer- 
sion in  the  following  solution  : 

FIXING  SOLUTION. 

Water  - - - 8 oz. 

Hyposulphite  of  Soda 3 oz. 

After  the  yellow  Iodide  of  Silver  is  all  removed,  the  glass 
is  to  be  again  thoroughly  (very  thoroughly)  washed  as  before. 
You  can  now  examine  it  to  see  if  it  is  a perfect  Negative, 
which  may  be  known  by  its  being  too  light  for  an  Ambro- 
type  or  Positive  picture.  Hold  it  up  between  you  and  the 
window,  and  look  through  it  at  some  bright  object.  The 
high  lights  should  appear  almost  perfectly  opaque,  and  the 
shades  equally  transparent,  with  good  delineations  in  every 
part.  It  may  be  too  opaque  in  the  high  lights,  in  which 
case  there  is  usually  no  remedy,  except  to  make  another, 
possessing  less  intensity. 

If  it  does  not  appear  intense  enough  to  insure  a good 
Print,  it  may  be  strengthened  by  pouring  on  a solution  of 
Nitrate  of  Silver  in  Distilled  Water,  20  grains  to  the  ounce 
of  water  ; then  take  a quantity  of  Developing  sufficient  to 
cover  the  plate,  and  add  an  equal  quantity  of  water  ; pour 
this  over  the  picture  (in  the  dusk  room),  and  keep  it  in 
motion  until  the  required  intensity  is  obtained,  or  until  it 
ceases  to  act,  after  which  it  may  be  rinsed  off  thoroughly. 


ON  GLASS  AND  PAPER.  13 

The  negative  is  then  dried  and  varnished  with  Humphrey's 

O 

Collodion  Gilding,  or  other  varnish.  The  varnish  is  to  be 
poured  on  in  the  same  manner  as  Collodion,  and  then  dried 
over  a spirit  lamp,  or  stove,  to  prevent  the  varnish  from 
chilling.  A very  moderate  heat  will  be  all  that  is  required 
for  this  purpose.  The  Negative  is  now  ready  to  be  used 
in  printing. 


PHOTOGRAPHIC  PRINTING. 


CHAPTER  II. 


PHOTOGRAPHIC  PRINTING 


A sheet  of  paper,  the  surface  of  which  has  been  satu- 
rated with  Chloride  of  Silver,  and  then  dried,  will  rapidly 
darken  when  exposed  to  the  light,  and  will  continue  to 
darken,  until  it  becomes  entirely  black. 

Advantage  is  taken  of  this  property  possessed  by  Silvered 
Paper,  to  produce  pictures  in  light  and  shade,  now  generally 
known  as  Photographs. 

The  first  part  of  the  Process,  necessary  to  produce  these 
pictures,  is  the  Salting  of  the  Sheet.  The  Salting  Solution 
is  made  as  follows  : 


This  solution  is  to  be  placed  in  a Photographic  Tray 
(which  may  be  procured  of  any  stock  dealer,  and  of  any 
size),  and  the  sheet  immersed  in  the  solution,  care  being 
taken  not  to  inclose  any  air  bubbles  under  the  sheet,  as 
that  would  produce  spots  in  the  finished  picture.  To  avoid 


SALTING  SOLUTION. 


Water, 

Muriate  of  Ammonia, 


1 qrt. 
66  gr?. 


18  PRACTICAL  PHOTOGRAPHY, 

tills,  lift  the  sheet  out  once  or  twice,  and  then  pin  it  up  to 
dry.  It  is  better  not  to  immerse  one  corner , as  there  is  less 
tendency  to  streaks. 

It  need  remain  in  this  solution  only  a few  seconds, 
and  should  always  be  pinned  up  by  the  diy  cornier,  both 
after  Salting  and  after  Silvering. 

The  Cansons’  Picture  Paper  is  best  adapted  to  this  for- 
mula. Any  quantity  of  these  sheets  may  be  prepared,  as 
they  will  keep  several  weeks  without  injury,  if  placed  in  a 
tight  box,  or  between  the  leaves  of  a book.  The  next 
operation  is  the  Silvering  of  the  Salted  Sheet  with  the 
Ammonia  Nitrate  of  Silver  Solution,  which  is  prepared  as 
follows : 


AMMONIA  nitrate. 

Nitrate  of  Silver,  in  crystals,  - - - 120  grs. 

Water, 3^  oz. 

Dissolve  the  Silver  in  the  water  ; then  pour  one-third  of 
the  bulk  of  this  solution  into  another  bottle,  and  add  con- 
centrated aqua  ammonia  to  the  remaining  twQ-thirds,  a 
few  drops  at  a time,  shaking  after  each  addition.  The 
Black  Precipitate  that  is  first  formed,  may  all  be  dissolved 
by  adding  a sufficient  amount  of  the  Ammonia;  but  no 
more  should  be  used  than  just  enough  to  redissolve  the 
precipitate.  The  remaining  one-third  can  now  be  added, 


ON  GLASS  AND  PAPER. 


10 


find  it  will  cause  a return  of  the  precipitate,  which  needs 
only  to  be  filtered  out,  when  the  solution  is  ready  for  use. 
The  bottle  containing  the  solution  should  be  kept  well 
corked.  Filtering  paper  is  the  best  material  for  filtering 
this  solution.  This  solution  should  be  made  and  kept  in 
the  dark  room.  The  best  method  of  using  it  is,  to  tack 
the  Salted  Sheet  on  a piece  of  board,  and  pour  on  a few 
drops  of  the  solution.  Now,  with  a piece  of  clean  cotton 
flannel,  or  a small  ball  of  Daguerreotypists’  cotton,  spread 
the  solution  over  the  sheet.  If  the  first  application  of  Silver 
is  not  enough,  more  can  be  added,  as  care  should  be  taken 
to  cover  every  portion  of  the  sheet  where  the  picture  is  to 
be  made.  When  Silvered,  tack  it  up  in  some  convenient 
place  to  drain  and  dry.  This  operation  is  performed  in 
the  dusk  room,  as  a short  exposure  to  light  would  injure 
the  results.  Care  should  be  taken  not  to  let  the  Silver 
Solution  come  in  contact  with  the  nail  or  pin  which  is  used 
to  hold  the  paper,  as  that  would  cause  stains  that  would 
ruin  the  print.  When  dry,  it  is  to  be  laid  on  a printing 
frame  (which  can  be  procured  of  any  stock  dealer),  and 
the  Negative,  Collodion  side  down,  placed  over  it  and  con- 
fined with  springs.  Two  or  three  thicknesses  of  cotton 
flannel  should  be  kept  between  the  frame  and  sheet.  Now 
carry  the  printing  frame  and  expose  it  to  the  direct  rays  of 
the  sun.  The  light,  passing  through  the  Negative,  changes 
the  sheet  under  it ; where  the  Negative  is  transparent, 


20 


L’RACTTC  A 1.  PHOTOGRAPHY, 


the  sheet  becomes  rapidly  black ; where  it  is  opaque,  the 
sheet  remains  white.  After  it  has  remained  in  the  sun  for 
a short  time,  take  it  into  the  Dark  Doom,  unbutton  the 
frame  at  the  back,  turn  down  the  lid  portion  and  examine 
the  print ; if  it  is  not  several  shades  darker  than  you  wish 
it  when  finished,  you  must  button  up  the  lid  again,  and  ex- 
pose it  until  that  point  is  reached.  When  sufficiently  dark, 
it  is  to  be  removed  from  the  frame  and  immersed  in  the 

TONING  RATH. 


Water, 16oz. 

Hyposulphite  Soda, 8 oz. 

Chloride  of  Gold, 8 grs. 

Nitrate  of  Silver, 32  grs. 


* Dissolve  the  Soda  in  1 2 ounces  of  the  water ; the  Chlo- 
ride of  Gold  in  2 ounces,  and  the  Silver  in  the  remaining 
2 ounces.  Then  pour  the  Gold  into  the  Soda,  stirring 
with  a glass  rod  all  the  time.  The  Silver  may  be  added 
in  the  same  manner.  It  is  important  that  this  order  of 
mixing  should  be  observed,  or  the  bath  may  be  spoiled  by 
the  precipitation  of  the  Gold.  It  should  remain  in  this 
bath  only  until  the  unchanged  Chloride  of  Silver  is  remov- 
ed. This  is  the  only  secret  of  obtaining  good  toning.  The 
artist  should  study  to  keep  the  Gold  and  Soda  in  such  pro- 
portions that  the  print  will  arrive  at  the  proper  color  at 


ON  GLASS  AND  PAPER. 


21 


the  same  moment  that  the  Chloride  of  Silver  is  all  remov- 
ed. If  not  enough  Chloride  of  Gold  is  used,  the  print  will 
have  a ghastly  red  when  the  Chloride  of  Silver  is  all  re- 
moved from  the  paper,  and  will  dry  out  a dead,  cold  tone. 
If,  on  the  contrary,  there  is  too  much  Gold,  the  shades 
will  assume  too  deep  a black  before  the  Chloride  of  Silver 
is  all  removed,  and  the  print  will  be  equally  as  dead  and 
smutty  as  in  the  former  case.  Thus,  if  the  Photographer 
will  only  remember  that  the  Soda  is  simply  the  cleaning 
element,  and  that  the  Gold  is  the  agent  to  give  the  color, 
he  will  soon  arrive,  by  experiment,  at  a point  where  he 
can  get  the  right  color  at  the  moment  the  cleaning  is  com- 
pleted, and  thus  insure  permanent  prints.  If  the  toning 
of  the  print  is  thus  properly  done,  and  the  washing  quickly 
performed  in  a strong  running  stream  of  water,  I have  no 
doubt  but  the  print  will  be  as  permanent  as  any  sun  ]iic- 
ture , if  not  as  lasting  as  an  engraving. 

MOUNTING  THE  PRINT. 

When  the  print  has  been  sufficiently  soaked,  it  should 
be  hung  up  and  dried.  It  is  then  to  be  cut  into  the  desired 
shape,  and  mounted  upon  Card,  or  Bristol  Board.  This 
J can  be  procured  of  any  size,  or  quality,  of  the  stock 

dealers.  The  best  paste  for  this  use  is  made  by  dissolving 
starch  in  cold  water,  and  then  boiling  it  until  it  becomes 


22 


PRACTICAL  PHOTOGRAPHY. 


transparent.  It  should  never  be  used  after  it  becomes 
sour,  as  it  would  injure  the  keeping  properties  of  the  print. 
A print  is  always  improved  by  being  neatly  mounted,  but 
not  if  done  in  a slovenly  manner. 


THEORY  OF  THE  NEGATIVE  PROCESS. 


V. 


. r 'r/i  I ,IU  a J r trft : ywr~-  ~ * ■ ^ 

•,  f ' rtrrfA  r.frv t ifo  n f)  V fr\V  t 


CHAPTER  III. 


THE  THEORY  OF  THE  NEGATIVE  PROCESS. 


The  writer  was  one  of  tlie  first  to  adopt  the  Collodion 
Process  in  this  country;  and,  having  been  widely  misled 
by  foreign  journals  and  foreign  writers,  on  the  subject 
of  intensity  in  Collodion  Negatives,  and  the  best  means  of 
obtaining  it,  would  here  tender  to  the  Photographic  Frater- 
nity the  result  of  a large  amount  of  experiments,  made 
solely  to  demonstrate  the  true  Theory  of  the  Process,  where- 
by its  action  can  be  rendered  more  certain  and  uniform. 
The  Formulae  may  not  be  so  very  different  from  those 
already  published  as  many  might  have  reason  to  expect,  it 
being  more  my  aim  to  demonstrate  which  is  the  best,  and 
the  reasons  why  it  is  so;  for,  when  we  fully  understand  the 
Laws  of  Actinic  Action  and  effect,  then  we  shall  be  able  to 
produce  any  given  effect  at  will.  I noticed,  in  Humphrey’s 
Journal , page  17,  Yol.  N.,  an  article  from  the  pen  of  Mr. 
George  Mathiot,  on  the  “Elements  of  a Successful  Nega- 
tive.” Like  him,  I have  seen  all  the  different  degrees  of 
success,  from  nothing  up  to  a Negative  of  the  most  desirable 
perfection.  After  years  of  study  and  experiment,  there 
will  still  be  times  when  it  will  be  difficult  to  produce 


2G 


PRACTICAL  PHOTOGRAPHY, 


the  desired  results.  This  is  not  from  any  fault  or  irregulari- 
ty in  the  laws  of  Actinic  Action,  hut  is  the  combined  result 
of  our  ignorance  of  those  laws,  and  the  use  of  improper  and 
impure  chemicals.  Of  the  two,  the  last  is,  probably, 
the  chief  cause,  as  with  pure  and  uniform  chemicals,  the 
results  seldom  fail  to  be  of  the  best  description. 

Notwithstanding  the  great  amount  of  widely-differcnt 
Processes  (all  worked  more  or  less  successfully  at  the  pre- 
sent time),  it  is  a natural  impossibility  that  there  should 
be  more  than  one  best  Process.  The  wide  difference  in  the 
Processes  worked  by  different  operators  is  not  to  be  consid- 
ered a conclusive  sign  that  there  may  not  be  certain  fixed 
proportions  of  Film,  Iodizing,  Silvering,  and  Developing, 
that  will,  at  all  times,  produce  better  results  than  any 
other  proportions.  Whether  these  elemental  proportions 
have  yet  been  disco vei’ed,  is  a matter  that  will  require  the 
decision  of  coming  ages. 

Mr.  Matiiiot  has  advanced  some  new  ideas  in  regard  to 
the  Iodizing  being  in  proportion  to  the  strength  of  Light 
at  the  time  of  using  it.  I am  not  prepared  to  say  that  such 
may,  or  may  not,  be  the  case.  It  is,  undoubtedly,  true, 
however,  that  a heavily-iodized  film  requires  more  light  to 
reduce  it  than  one  lightly  iodized.  I am  not  certain,  how- 
ever, that  a lightly-iodized  film  will  not  produce  as  good 
results,  with  a strong  light,  as  a heavily-iodized  film,  pro- 
vided the  exposure  to  light  be  proport ionably  shortened  to 


ON  GLASS  AND  PATEIt. 


27 


obtain  the  exact  amount  of  reduction  necessary ; and  here 
lies  one  of  the  principles  of  a theory  which  I propose  to 
advance.  In  this  article  I shall  give  a theory  for  Negative- 
making which  I have  arrived  at,  and  my  reasons  for  it.  I 
think  the  grave  error  of  most  of  the  present  Negative  Pro- 
cesses lies  in  going  too  far. 

We  are  ransacking  the  ends  of  the  earth  for  something 
that  lies  at  our  veiy  door,  too  cheap  and  simple  to  appear 
worthy  of  being  picked  up.  It  is  more  than  probable  that 
many  see  and  handle  the  diamonds  every  day  without 
knowing  their  real  value. 

My  theory,  though  but  an  individual  opinion,  is  founded 
on  the  result  of  a large  number  of  experiments,  with  more 
than  fifty  different  Processes,  and  with  all  kinds  of  Iodizing 
now  in  use.  In  producing  a picture  in  the  Collodion  Film, 
it  must  be  considered  that,  after  the  picture  is  developed, 
there  is  a large  amount  of  unchanged  Iodide  remaining  in 
the  film,  which  extends  through  its  entire  body  to  the  sur- 
face that  supports  the  Collodion.  This  Iodide  of  Silver 
must  occupy  a certain  amount  of  space  in  the  film,  which 
is  left  unoccupied  when  the  Iodide  is  dissolved  out,  and  each 
particle  which  is  removed  from  the  film  leaves  a coirespoiul- 
ing  hole  to  let  the  light  in,  and  fog  the  resulting  print.  The 
spaces,  or  holes,  are  not  noticed  when  not  magnified,  but 
they  become  painfully  evident  when  subjected  to  a power- 
ful lens ; and  this,  I think,  is  one  reason  of  the  want  of 


28 


PRACTICAL.  PHOTOGRAPHY 


sharpness  spoken  of  by  Mr.  Matiiiot  (see  Humphrey's  Jour- 
nal, Yol.  IX.,  page  3G9),  in  the  prints  he  examined  in  that 
way.  My  theory,  therefore,  is  this  : That  the  amount  of 
Iodizing  in  the  film  that  will  produce  a picture  of  sufficient 
intensity,  and  leave  the  least  Iodide  unchanged,  is  the  best.  "* 

When  we  shall  have  found  a Developing  that  will  reduce 
all  the  Iodide  to  form  the  metallic  image  and  leave  none  to  he 
removed , then  we  shall  have  pictures  not  only  practically,  but 
theoretically  sharp.  In  the  mean  time,  the  nearer  we  approxi- 
mate to  this  end,  the  better  results  we  shall  obtain. 

The  means  and  materials  for  obtaining  these  results  may 
be  divided  into  three  heads : 

First. — The  Condition  of  the  Film : 

The  construction  of  the  film  should  be  of  moderate  thick- 
ness, and  very  lightly  Iodized — as  much  so  as  is  consistent 
with  obtaining  sufficient  strength  to  produce  the  desired 
intensity.  A heavy  film  and  Iodizing  always  produce  a 
picture  of  coarser  texture  than  one  lightly  Iodized.  And 
here  let  me  notice  a fact  that  shows  that  this  law  is 
imperative  through  all  the  different  Processes,  and  even 
in  Galvanic  as  well  as  in  Actinic  reactions. 

1st.  A heavily-galvanized  plate  produces  a dull,  coarse 
image ; a lightly-galvanized  one  gives  a soft,  bright  pic- 
ture. ^ 

2d.  A heavily-coated  Daguerreotype  plate  gives  a dull, 
coarse  image  ; a lightly-coated  one,  a fine,  soft  image. 


ON  GLASS  AND  PAPER. 


29 


3d.  A heavily-salted  paper  gives  a dull,  dark  Positive ; 
a lightly-salted  paper  gives  a bright,  clear  impression. 

4th.  A heavily-charged  galvanic  battery  precipitates 
metals  in  coarse  crystals ; a lightly-charged  battery  pre- 
cipitates in  fine  crystals. 

It  should  be  remembered,  therefore,  that  heavy  films 
and  heavy  coatings  always  produce  coarse,  heavy  pictures ; 
while  light  films  and  light  coatings,  in  all  the  different 
branches  of  picture-making,  produce  bright,  soft,  clear 
impressions.  I have  sometimes  produced  curious  results, 
by  using  a film  of  moderate  thickness,  lightly  Iodized. 
After  developing  and  washing  in  the  usual  way,  the  pic- 
ture is  held  in  strong  sunlight,  and  concentrated  Aqua 
Ammonia  poured  on.  Under  the  action  of  the  light  and 
Ammonia,  the  shadows  crowd  up  through  the  unchanged 
Iodide  and  become  decidedly  Positive,  with  a reddish- 
brown  cast.  When  the  shades  are  fully  up,  wash  with 
water  very  thoroughly,  after  which  dry  the  Negative  and 
Varnish,  and  then  print  from  it  in  the  usual  way.  It  is 
worthy  of  notice,  that  some  of  the  best  Negatives  I have 
made  were  done  in  this  manner. 

Second — The  Kind  of  Iodizing  to  he  Used. 

In  selecting  the  kind  of  Iodizing  to  be  used,  I look  more 
particularly  to  see  what  will  produce  the  moat  finely-divided 
particles  of  Iodide  of  Silver.  Iodide  Potassium  seems  to  be 


30 


PRACTICAL  PHOTOGRAPHY, 


the  coarsest  and  strongest ; Ammonia  and  Magnesium  ap- 
pear fine,  but  more  unstable.  Iodide  Zinc  is  fine,  and  has  as 
much  strength  as  Ammonia  or  Magnesium ; Iodide  Cadmium 
is  the  finest  and  most  stable,  but  is  not  as  strong  as  any  of 
the  others,  and  is  better  adapted  for  Positives,  as  it  has  less 
effect  to  give  intensity  than  Ammonia  and  Zinc,  and  will 
generally  require  redeveloping.  There  is  nothing,  proba- 
bly, better  for  Negative  Portraits  than  Ammonia,  when  it 
can  be  procured  in  its  greatest  purity.  For  Views,  the 
Potassium  adds  strength  to  the  impression,  that  is  seldom 
obtained  by  other  Iodides. 

One  or  two  more  formula?  for  Collodion  will  be  given 
in  another  part  of  this  work.  These  formulas  are  adapted 
to  the  bath  already  given. 

Third — The  Nature  and  Condition  of  the  Developing. 

It  is  not  to  be  understood  that  any  given  formula  will 
always  give  equally  good  results,  as  the  bath  and  light 
are  constantly  changing,  and  the  operator  must  always  be 
on  the  alert,  to  make  whatever  changes  are  necessary  to 
meet  those  changes.  The  Developing  that  works  finely 
to-day  may  not  work  at  all  to-morrow,  on  account  of  its 
non-adaptation  to  the  strength  of  the  bath  and  the  strength 
of  the  light.  The  only  way,  therefore,  is  to  make  the 
Developing  of  a given  strength,  and  afterwards  to  modify 
it  as  occasion  seems  to  require.  This  is  done  by  the  addi- 


ON  GLASS  AND  PAPER. 


31 


tion  of  water  to  the  Developing,  and  this  addition  is  to 
be  governed  by  the  appearance  of  the  developed  Negatives. 
With  strong  Developing,  as  a general  rule,  the  picture  will 
lack  delineation ; with  weak  Developing,  the  picture  will 
possess  good  delineations ; but  will  print  smutty  in  the  high 
lights.  There  is  a medium,  therefore,  between  these  two 
extremes,  where  the  results  will  be  just  right,  and  that 
medium  can  only  be  found  by  the  practical  experience  of 
each  individual  operator,  and  close  attention  to  the  differ- 
ent effect  produced  by  different  strength  of  the  Developing. 
By  attention  of  these  rules,  the  operator  will  soon  be  able 
to  govern  the  result  at  will.  The  Developing  sometimes 
needs  to  be  adapted  to  the  different  strength  of  light  during 
the  day;  a weak  light  requires  a stronger  Developing,  a 
strong  light  a weaker  Developing.  This  adaptation  of  the 
Developing  to  the  state  of  the  light  and  bath  is  easily 
managed,  when  the  experimenter  becomes  familiar  with 
the  laws  which  require  it.  Alcohol  should  never  be  added 
to  the  Developing,  as  it  precipitates  the  Iron,  and  is  the 
cause  of  a multitude  of  specks,  or  holes,  in  the  skies,  so 
generally  complained  of. 


* 


- • 


COLLODION  FORMULAE. 


2* 


J ■ 1 • mo  Li  < > 


. j ,o 

■ 


CHAPTER  IV. 


COLLODION  FORMULAE. 


NEGATIVE  COLLODION  FOR  VIEWS. 

Formula  No.  2. 


Ether  (cone.),  - 
Atwood’s  Alcohol,  95  per  cent., 
Iodide  Potassium,  ... 
Bromide  Ammonium, 

Saturated  Sol.  of  Iodine  in  Alcohol, 
Hydro-Bromic  Acid  (Humphrey), 
Gun  Cotton  (French), 


7{  oz. 

6 oz. 

52  grs. 

25  “ 

3 drops. 
2 “ 

90  gr. 


Or  enough  to  give  a film  of  moderate  thickness.  Different 
samples  of  Cotton  will  vary  the  quantity  at  least  one-lialf, 
and  each  individual  operator  must  use  his  own  judgment 
in  each  case,  adding  until  the  desired  thickness  is  obtained. 
The  Iodide  of  Potassium  is  to  be  dissolved  first  in  the 
Alcohol.  This  can  be  done  by  pulverizing  it  in  a graduate 
or  bottle,  with  a glass  rod,  in  the  full  quantity  of  Alcohol. 
It  may  require  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes’  diligent  grinding 
to  effect  this,  but  it  is  far  better  than  to  use  water  in  the 
Collodion,  which  should  seldom  be  done.  After  dissolving 


36 


PRACTICAL  PHOTOGRAPHY, 


the  Potassium,  add  the  Ammonium  and  Ether,  shaking  until 
the  Ammonium  is  all  dissolved,  after  which  add  the  Cot- 
ton and  other  ingredients. 


Formula  No,  3. 

ALCOHOLIC  NEGATIVE  COLLODION. 


Absolute  Alcohol,  - 

Absolute  Ether,  .... 

Iodide  Ammonium,  - 

Bromide  “ .... 

Gun  Cotton  enough  to  give  a heavy  film. 

Glacial  Acetic  Acid,  ... 


3 oz. 

1 oz. 

16  grs. 

8 ?■ 

1 drop. 


Dissolve  the  Gun  Cotton  in  one  ounce  of  Ether  and  one 
ounce  of  Alcohol.  Dissolve  the  Iodide  and  Bromide  in 
the  remaining  two  of  Alcohol,  and  then  add  these  together ; 
then  add  the  other  ingredients,  and  it  is  ready  for  use, 
after  being  filtered  through  clean  Cotton  and  allowed  to 
settle.  The  Collodion  Nos.  2 and  3 may  be  used  in  the 
bath  given  in  Chapter  I.  In  using  the  Alcoholic  Collo- 
dion, the  bath  after  a time  accumulates  so  much  Alcohol 
that  it  is  impossible  to  make  the  Developing  flow  evenly. 
This  crawling  of  the  Developing  can  only  be  remedied  by 
evaporating  the  Alcohol.  F or  this  purpose,  place  the  solu- 
tion in  a well-glazed  earthen  vessel  (the  yellow  noppos,  or 
porcelain  dishes  are  the  best);  set  the  vessel  on  the  stove 


OK  GLASS  AND  PAPER. 


37 


and  heat  it  gently,  until  the  Alcohol  is  evaporated.  This 
is  attended  with  some  trouble,  but  the  many  excellent 
qualities  in  the  Alcoholic  Collodion  more  than  repay  this 
labor.  The  Alcohol  can  be  evaporated  after  the  day’s 
work,  and  when  filtered  in  the  morning,  is  ready  for  use 
again — thereby  causing  no  delay  in  working  hours. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say,  that  distilled  water  must  be 
added  before  filtering,  to  make  the  solution  up  to  the  origin- 
al bulk,  as  more  or  less  is  always  evaporated  with  the  Al- 
cohol, leaving  the  solution  too  strong  for  the  Collodion.  I use 
the  Alcoholic  Collodion  almost  entirely  at  the  present  time, 
in  my  practice.  The  Iodide  and  Bromide  of  Zinc  may 
be  substituted  for  that  given  in  Formula  No.  3,  only  using 
5 grains  of  Iodide  and  2J-  of  Bromide  per  ounce. 

It  is  important  that  the  Alcohol  used  in  making  the 
Alcoholic  Collodion  be  perfectly  anhydrous.  The  best 
Alcohol  that  can  be  purchased,  even  if  declared  absolute, 
cannot  be  depended  on,  as  it  is  often  watered.  To  make 
absolute  Alcohol  for  Photographic  purposes,  add  2 lbs.  un- 
stated lime  to  one  gallon  of  Alcohol,  in  a tall  bottle.  Keep 
the  bottle  well  corked,  and  shake  it  thoroughly  every  few 
hours,  for  8 or  10  days,  or  as  long  as  the  lime  continues  to 
slake  ; then  stand  it  by,  and  when  the  lime  has  all  settled, 
leaving  it  perfectly  clear , it  may  be  decanted  for  use. 

Or  the  excess  of  lime  may  be  filtered  out,  and  the 
remainder  allowed  to  settle,  which  facilitates  the  operalion 


38 


PRACTICAL  PHOTOGRAPHY. 


It  is  better  to  have  some  of  this  prepared  at  all  times,  and 
put  by  in  sealed  bottles,  so  that  no  delay  may  be  occasioned 
when  it  is  wanted,  as  it  requires  two  or  three  weeks  to 
settle  it  properly.  The  bottles  containing  it  should  al- 
ways be  sealed,  as  it  absorbs  water  from  the  air  rapidly. 

If  a reticulated  appearance  of  the  film  is  seen  in  the 
developed  picture,  there  was  too  much  water  in  the 
Alcohol. 

A still  larger  excess  of  water  in  Collodion  turns  it  into 
a jelly. 

Where  too  much  water  is  present  in  the  Collodion,  the 
film  is  also  apt  to  crack  and  peel  off  in  drying. 


REMEDY  FOR  FOGGY  NITRATE  BATHS. 


. 


• - • :i  I 


ii)  ^ art  i \i 

- 


CHAPTER  Y, 


REMEDY  FOR  FOGGY  NITRATE  BATHS, 


The  following  remedy  for  foggy  baths  was  first  published 
in  May,  1858,  in  Humphrey's  Journal.  It  is  copied  into 
this  Work  as  it  first  appeared  in  the  Journal,  with  some 
remarks  and  suggestions  by  Mr.  George  Matiiiot,  which 
tend  to  further  elucidate  the  Process'. 

To  the  Editor  of  Humphrey's  Journal : 

Many  of  your  subscribers  have  been  troubled  with  Foggy 
Baths.  Some,  I presume,  have  at  the  present  time  quite 
a quantity  laid  away,  awaiting  some  way  to  turn  up 
whereby  to  redeem  them.  I,  therefore,  propose  to  show 
them  how  it  can  be  done,  if  the  baths  have  not  been  fogged 
by  the  careless  addition  of  some  of  the  Developing  Agents. 
In  some  instances,  it  will  remedy  even  them,  but  that  I 
will  not  warrant  in  every  case. 

Put  the  foggy  solution  into  a strong  bottle,  about  three 
times  larger  than  the  bulk  of  the  solution  ; then  pulverize 
and  add  pure  Bi-carbonate  of  Soda,  until  the  Silver  is  all 
precipitated  to  the  bottom,  in  the  form  of  Carbonate  of 
Silver.  If  there  is  any  Acid  in  the  solution,  the  Soda 


42 


PRACTICAL  PHOTOGRAPHY, 


must  be  added  with  caution  (stirring,  meanwhile,  with  a 
glass  rod),  as  the  Soda  will  dissolve  “ fuming,”  and  may 
boil  up  and  run  over,  to  your  loss.  After  you  have  added 
Soda  until  the  Silver  is  all  precipitated,*  fill  the  bottle 
with  soft  water,  stir  it  up  thoroughly  with  the  glass  rod, 
then  let  the  precipitate  settle.  When  it  has  done  so,  pour 
off  the  water,  as  closely  as  you  can,  without  letting  any  of 
the  precipitate  escape.  Eepeat  this  six  or  eight  times,  so 
as  to  be  sure  of  washing  off  all  the  free  Soda.  Now  drain 
off  the  water  as  closely  as  possible.  (It  would  be  well  to  use 
Distilled  Water  for  the  last  washing,  or  the  kind  that  you 
intend  to  make  your  bath  with.)  After  having  drained  it 
as  closely  as  possible,  proceed  to  add  chemically-pure  Nitric 
Acid,  to  dissolve  the  precipitate ; add  it,  stirring  with  the 
;glass  rod  at  the  same  time,  and  with  some  caution,  as  it 
will  fume  strongly  ; continue  to  add  until  the  precipitate  is 
nearly,  but  not  quite  all  dissolved.  The  solution,  at  this  point 
of  the  proceeding,  will  probably  be  opaque  and  almost 
inky-black.  This  need  not  cause  any  alarm,  as  it  will 
filter  out  clear  and  pure.  Then  take  a quantity  of  clean 
Cotton  in  your  hand,  hold  it  under  water  and  squeeze  and 
work  it  in  your  hand  until  it  is  thoroughly  saturated  ; 
then  press  out  the  superabundance  of  water,  put  it  into  a 
funnel  and  filter  the  solution  through  it;  test  it  with 

♦Add  the  Soda  until  you  are  sure  the  Silver  is  all  thrown  down.  Any 
excess  of  Soda  will  be  carried  off  in  the  subsequent  washings,  and  will  do  no 
harm. 


ON  GLASS  AND  PAPER. 


43 


the  Hydrometer, f and  add  water  until  it  is  of  the  right 
strength ; wash  your  funnel,  and  put  in  some  clean  Cotton  ; 
filter  it  again  thoroughly,  and  it  is  right  for  a Negative 
bath.  For  Positives,  it  is  only  necessary  to  add  one  drop 
of  Nitric  Acid,  chemically  pure,  to  each  three  ounces  of 
the  solution.  Baths  for  Negatives,  treated  in  this  way, 
work  decidedly  clearer,  better,  and  quicker,  than  in  any 
other  way  that  I have  ever  tried.  It  also  gives  better 
delineations  in  Positives.  The  experimenter,  by  this 
method,  will  be  astonished  at  the  amount  of  black  organic 
matter  that  will  be  found  in  the  funnel,  after  filtering  the 
first  time,  and  will  be  able  to  see  what  fogged  his  pictures. 

There  are  some  points  of  importance  to  be  attended  to 
in  this  Process.  They  are  these  : 

1st.  That  the  Bi-carbonate  of  Soda  be  pure. 

2d.  That  the  resulting  precipitate  be  well  washed,  to 
free  it  from  all  Soda  that  is  not  absorbed  and  combined 
with  the  Silver. 

3d.  That  the  precipitate  be  not  all  dissolved  before  it  is 
filtered. 

If  this  part  is  not  attended  to,  you  will  lose  all  your 
labor.  The  theory  of  this  is,  that  the  organic  matter  in  the 
bath  is  soluble  in  Acid , and  cannot  be  filtered  out  while  the 
bath  is  acid.  There  need  be  but  very  little  precipitate  left 


1 1 use  the  Actino-IIydrometer  as  manufactured  by  the  Scovill  Manufactur- 
ing Co.,  as  they  are  the  best  I know  of  for  that  use.  The  tables  accompany- 
ing  them,  make  it  perfectly  easy  for  a beginner. 


44 


PRACTICAL  PHOTOGRAPHY, 


in,  as  the  least  amount  undissolved  will  leave  the  bath  per- 
fectly neutral.  I have  treated  baths  in  this  way  and  have 
redeemed  them  all,  so  that  they  work  better  than  ever 
before.  I had  one  bath  that  I tried  to  redeem  in  this  way : 
I failed  twice,  on  account  of  adding  too  much  Acid  before 
filtering.  The  third  time,  however,  I succeeded.  This 
bath  had  laid  aside  for  nearly  a year,  and  had  been  tried 
occasionally,  but  it  would  fog  with  all  kinds  of  Collodion, 
and  we  expected  to  lose  it.  Happily,  it  is  all  right  now. 
It  contained  12  ounces  of  Silver,  so  you  see  we  saved  $15 
by  this  means.  The  bath  may  require  re-iodizing  after 
being  purified  in  this  manner,  but  I have  never  found  it 
necessary.  I use  Carbonate  of  Silver  for  both  Negatives 
and  Positives,  being  convinced  that  it  produces  better 
results  than  the  Nitrate.  If  I were  making  a new  bath,  I 
would  first  reduce  the  Silver  to  Carbonate,  before  making 
it  into  a bath. 

If  the  Negative  Bath,  at  any  time  after  being  purified 
in  this  manner,  becomes  acid,  it  is  only  necessary  to  add 
Bi-carbonate  of  Soda  until  a minute  quantity  of  precipi- 
tate is  formed ; filter,  and  it  is  all  right  again.  The  bath, 
in  this  way,  is  made  perfectly  neutral.  I do  not  require  to 
test  it  after  purifying,  when  used  for  Negatives. 

If  a story  is  worth  being  told  at  all,  it  is  worthy  of  being 
well  told , therefore  I have  endeavored  to  make  this  com- 
munication as  plain  and  easily-comprehended  as  possible, 


ON  GLASS  AND  PAPER. 


45 


that  none  may  fail  from  not  knowing  the  why  and  where- 
fore. By  studying  this  paper  and  carefully  following  its 
direction,  your  readers  will  find  a remedy  for  foggy  baths 
— a remedy  that  is  easy,  safe,  and  effectual,  and  one  that 
will  save  a large  amount  of  waste  Silver. 

Any  old  solutions  may  be  redeemed  in  the  same  way, 
and  returned  to  a workable  condition.  Solutions  for  Sil- 
vering Albumen  Paper  are  better  purified  in  this  way  than 
any  other.  I am  indebted  to  Mr.  Glover,  an  English 
Photographer,  for  the  idea  of  using  Carbonate  of  Silver. 
Its  use  to  remedy  a foggy  bath  is  of  my  own  suggestion. 

The  following  remarks,  by  Mr.  Matiiiot,  are  wrorthy  of 
attention : 

When  the  bath  contains  very  much  organic  matter, 
accumulated  by  long-continued  use,  it  is  better  to  reform 
the  Nitrate  by  the  method  recommended  by  Mr.  Gage. 
By  this  mode  all  the  old  residues  of  baths  may  be  converted 
into  available  Nitrate  again.  There  is  not  the  least  difficulty 
in  working  this  Process.  Either  the  Bi-carbonate  of  Soda  or 
the  Washing  Soda  may  be  used.  The  latter  salt  contains  a 
little  iron,  but  it  will  not  do  any  injury.  Make  a strong 
solution  of  it,  and  add  it  to  the  bath  until  it  ceases  to  pro- 
duce a white  precipitate.  After  washing  and  collecting  tho 
precipitate,  reserve  a small  portion  of  it  as  a preventive 
against  having  an  excess  of  Nitric  Acid  in  the  final  solution. 
Should  such  occur,  add  the  reserved  precipitate.  The  bath, 


46 


PRACTICAL  PHOTOGRAPHY. 


finally,  may  be  slightly  acid  from  failure  of  the  Carbonate 
to  take  up  the  least  portions  of  the  Acid.  In  that  case,  the 
bath  should  be  neutralized  by  Potash,  as  has  been  recom- 
mended. There  seems  to  be  some  hesitation  to  practice 
this  process  of  reforming  the  Nitrate,  on  account  of  the 
difficulty  of  getting  pure  Nitric  Acid.  If  you  cannot  get  the 
chemicals  pure,  use  the  common  article  (the  aqua  fortis  of 
the  druggists).  It  does  not  cost  quite  so  much,  but  other- 
wise there  is  no  difference  for  this  purpose.  The  common 
Acid  is  apt  to  be  contaminated  with  a little  Chloride  or 
Hydrogen,  which  forms  Chloride  of  Silver,  and  causes  the 
solution  to  be  a little  milky ; but  this  will  all  filter  out 
after  the  solution  is  a few  hours  old;  or,  by  adding  a little 
Nitrate  of  Silver  solution  first  to  the  Acid,  the  Chlorine  will 
be  precipitated,  and,  after  it  has  collected,  the  Acid  may 
be  poured  off. 


WASHING  PRINTS. 


' 


• < > i'  . 


CHAPTER  VI. 


WASHING  PRINTS. 


The  following  paper,  on  the  Washing  of  Prints,  should 
be  carefully  studied,  as  it  is  very  important  that  this  part 
of  the  Process  should  not  be  neglected.  Constant  experi- 
ments convince  me  that  it  contains  the  true  principle. 

There  is  a great  deal  written  in  foreign  journals,  and  by 
foreign  writers,  about  long-soaking  of  prints  after  they 
come  from  the  toning  bath.  One  recommends  passing  them 
through  three  or  four  dishes  of  water,  changing  the  water 
and  dishes  continually  for  five  or  six  hours,  and  then  let- 
ting them  soak  for  twenty-four  hours  longer.  Another  is 
strongly  in  favor  of  sponging,  which  is  sure  to  perform  the 
cure  and  leave  them  free  from  chemicals.  One  soaks  them 
in  a running  stream  for  one  or  two  days ; another  soaks 
them  twenty-four  hours,  and  then  finishes  with  boiling- 
water.  Thus,  any  amount  of  ignorance  and  folly  is  dis- 
played by  these  writers,  who  seem  more  anxious  to  see  their 
names  in  print,  attached  to  some  “ darling  conceit  of  their 
own,”  than  to  suggest  anything  really  beneficial  to  the  Art. 
The  further  they  get  from  what  common  sense  would  die- 


50 


PRACTICAL  PHOTOGRAPHY, 


tate,  the  better  they  seem  pleased,  and  the  more  glory  they 
take  to  themselves  therefor.  There  is  so  much  wrangling 
among  them  about  who  was  the  inventor  of  the  Honey 
Process,  who  used  Sulphate  of  Iron  first,  and  a hundred 
other  equally  useless  points,  that  it  is  almost  impossible  for 
them  to  find  time  to  do  anything  else  but  rap  their  neigh- 
bors’ knuckles  and  call  hard  names. 

It  seems  an  easy  thing  to  determine  what  is  the  best 
manner  of  Cleansing  Prints  of  the  Excess  of  Chemicals.  A 
running  stream  is  certainly  not  to  be  excelled  by  any  other 
Process,  if  the  stream  is  large  enough  to  change  the  water 
rapidly.  The  stream  should  be  large  enough  to  free  the 
Print  from  Soda  in  one  hour , and  never,  under  any  consider- 
ation, more  than  three  hours.  This  soaking  the  prints  until 
the  Soda  is  all  out,  and  then  soaking  them  till  the  Sizing 
is  all  gone,  and  still  longer,  until  the  Organic  Matter  in 
the  water  penetrates  the  pores  of  the  paper  and  com- 
mences a decomposition  of  its  tissues,  is  “ all  bosh .”  How 
would  our  Ambrotypes  look,  if  soaked  two  or  three  days 
in  dead,  dirty  water?  AVould  it  be  likely  to  improve  the 
whites?  Half  of  the  smutty  prints  in  vogue  are  ojving  to 
the  half-rotten  state  they  are  in  from  long  soaking. 

The  beauty  of  a print,  after  one  or  two  hours’  washing, 
begins  rapidly  to  diminish,  caused  by  the  decomposition  and 
softening  of  the  sizing.  The  amount  of  chemicals  that  is 
left  in  the  print,  after  two  hours’  good  cleansing  in  a run- 


ON  GLASS  ANI)  PAPER. 


51 

ning  stream  of  water,  is  not  half  as  likely  to  fade  the 
print  as  the  organic  matter,  deposited  from  the  water 
and  sizing  are.  This  not  only  seems  reasonable,  but 
it  is  corroborated  by  experience  and  observation.  I 
have  noticed  that  prints  soaked  in  a strong  running 
stream,  for  not  more  than  three  hours,  have  invariably 
proved  brighter  and  more  durable  than  those  that  have 
soaked  twenty-four  hours.  Those  that  have  remained  in 
two  days  have  lost  all  their  beauty,  and  in  three  days  were 
entirely  ruined.  Prints  should  be  soaked  hi  small  lots,  and 
not  piled  in  and  allowed  to  mat  together.  If  the  water 
is  very  cold,  or  the  paper  uncommonly  thick,  it  may  need 
a longer  time.  Every  one  must  use  his  own  judgment  in 
these  matters.  Therefore,  I say,  “ Photos,”  don’t  tiy  to 
do  your  work  so  thoroughly  as  to  overdo  and  spoil  it. 
Overdone  beef-steak  is  horrible,  and  an  over-soaked  print 
is  in  exactly  the  same  category.  If  it  seems  that  one  or 
two  hours’  soaking  is  better  than  twenty-four,  try  it  and 
note  the  result.  Don’t  take  my  word , nor  any  one's , for 
your  standard,  but  use  your  own  common  sense,  and  you 
will  arrive  at  some  definite  time  for  the  cleaning. 

This  is  a progressive  world,  and  old  customs  and  opinions 
are  of  value  only  so  far  as  they  are  founded  on  truth. 
The  plow-share  of  experiment  must  break  through  them, 
while' observation  stands  by  to  note  the  result — to  retain 
the  good  and  reject  the  bad. 


V 


FAILURES  AND  THEIR  CAUSES. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


FAILURES  AND  THEIR  CAUSES. 


The  first,  and  most  important  cause  of  failure,  is 
called  Fogging  of  the  Impression. 

The  effect  may  arise  from  the  following  causes  : 

1st.  Unclean  Glass. 

2d.  Impure  Chemicals. 

3d.  Diffused  Light  in  the  Camera,  Shield,  or  Dark  Room. 

4th.  Too-long  Exposure. 

5th.  Too-short  Exposure,  coupled  with  too-long  Developing. 

6th.  Alkaline  Bath. 

7th.  Alkaline  Collodion. 

The  beginner  may  think  that  this  is  quite  an  array  of 
causes  of  fogging,  but  he  may  rest  assured  that  any  one  or 
all  of  the  above  will  occasion  fogging.  If,  therefore,  the 
beginner  meets  with  this  trouble,  he  can  only  free  himself 
from  it  by  a series  of  experiments.  An  experienced  artist 
will  instantly  detect  which  of  the  seven  causes  produced 
the  fogging,  in  each  case.  If  the  operator  meets  with  this 
trouble,  he  should  first  make  another  trial,  taking  greater 
care  to  have  the  glass  perfectly  clean.  If  this  fail,  see  that 
there  is  not  too  much  light  in  the  developing  room,  or  in 


56 


PRACTICAL  PHOTOGRAPHY, 


the  shield  or  camera.  If  these  means  fail,  you  may 
think  best  to  add  a little  Nitric  Acid  to  the  bath,  as 
directed  in  Chap.  I.  If  these  means  fail,  you  may  think 
best  to  add  a little  Glacial  Acetic  Acid  to  the  bath,  a 
drop  at  a time.  If  the  result  is  still  the  same,  test  the 
bath,  by  immersing  a piece  of  Litmus  Paper : if,  after 
five  minutes’  immersion,  there  is  no  symptom  of  the  paper 
reddening,  more  Acid  maybe  added,  until  the  paper  either 
reddens  or  the  pictures  work  clear.  If  it  should  appear 
that  the  Collodion  is  alkaline,  the  addition  of  one  drop  of 
Glacial  Acetic  Acid  to  each  four  ounces  will  probably 
cure  that  evil. 

To  insure  good  chemicals,  purchase  of  some  responsible 
dealer,  who  makes  uniform  chemicals,  and  whose  interest 
it  is  to  sell  such  as  will  secure  their  customers’  patronage. 
In  my  practice,  1 have  used  the  chemicals  prepared  by 
'SVatjiann  & Poulenc,  Paris — S.  D.  Humphrey,  New 
York — and  Jacob  Denton,  Philadelphia — all  of  which, 
with  slight  exceptions,  have  proved  reliable. 

I use  none  but  D unton’s  at  the  present  time. 

A multitude  of  small  black  transparent  specks  in  the 
developed  pictures  may  arise  from  the  Collodion  not  being 
properly  settled. 

Black  specks,  with  a comet-like  tail,  may  arise  from  too 
much  Iodizing  in  the  Collodion,  from  an  unsettled  Collo- 
dion ; or,  if  they  appear  in  connection  with  fogging,  the 
bath  is  alkaline  and  requires  Acid. 


ON  GLASS  AND  PAPER. 


5 


If  the  Collodion  appears  like  a jelly,  there  was  too  much 
water  in  the  Alcohol  used. 

If  there  is  a gray  powdery  substance  over  the  entire 
image,  it  is  probable  that  the  Collodion  is  too-highly 
Iodized,  in  connection  with  too  much  Ether  for  the 
amount  of  Alcohol  used.  Add  more  Alcohol. 

If  the  Collodion  turns  very  red,  soon  after  being  made,  it 
is  occasioned  by  a bad  sample  of  Ether,  or  Acid,  in  the  Gun 
Cotton.  If  a bottle  of  Cotton  smells  acid  in  the  least 
degree  when  first  opened,  it  is  better  to  reject  it  at  once. 

Ridges  in  the  film,  in  the  direction  of  the  draining  of 
the  Collodion,  may  arise  from  using  too  thick  a Collodion, 
or  from  too  much  Ether  in  the  Collodion  for  the  quantity 
of  Alcohol. 

Too-long  immersion  in  the  bath  will  produce  a foggy, 
faint  picture ; too  short  an  immersion  will  give  a greasy 
surface  to  the  glass,  that  will  cause  the  development  to 
“ crawl”  and  not  develop  evenly. 

If  there  is  any  pause  in  plunging  the  Collodionized  Glass 
in  the  bath,  horizontal  streaks  will  always  be  produced. 

Negatives  may  be  made  more  intense,  after  fixing,  by 
using  a solution  of  Bi-chloride  of  Mercury,  as  follows : 

Bi-chloride  of  Mercury,  ....  ^ oz. 

Hydrochloric  Acid, 1£  drm. 

Water,  distilled, 6 oz. 


58 


PRACTICAL  PHOTOGRAPHY, 


The  impression  must  be  very  thoroughly  washed  before 
this  is  used,  or  streaks  will  result.  Pour  it  on  the  picture, 
and  keep  it  moving  until  the  desired  intensity  is  obtained, 
then  wash  very  thoroughly. 

This  is  to  be  done  before  the  fixed  impression  has  been 
carried  out  of  the  dark  room,  and  exposed  to  white  light. 

If  the  Collodion  film  is  too  dry,  before  immersion,  or  is 
not  dry  enough,  it  will  not,  perhaps,  adhere  to  the  glass. 
If  there  is  too  much  Ether  for  the  Alcohol,  it  will  cause  the 
same  result. 

Keep  the  edges  of  the  plate  well  filed,  to  prevent  the 
film  from  slipping. 

Parallel  lines,  in  the  direction  of  the  dipping  of  the  plate, 
may  be  caused  by  scum  on  the  surface  of  the  bath,  or  by 
not  moving  the  plate  gently  sidewise  while  dipping,  and 
for  a few  moments  after. 

When  the  plate  is  taken  from  the  bath,  and  has  on  the 
lower  end  of  it  streaks  which  branch  out  in  all  directions, 
resembling  frost-work  on  a window-pane,  it  is  caused  by  a 
lack  of  Alcohol,  or  an  excess  of  Iodizing  in  connection  with 
a lack  of  Alcohol.  Add  absolute  Alcohol  until  the  trouble 
is  removed. 

If  this  last  trouble  is  present  only  in  a small  degree,  it 
is  probable  that  it  may  be  seen  only  in  the  developed, 
or  fixed  impression.  The  remedy  is  the  same  in  both 
cases.  If  the  film,  in  drying,  has  a tendency  to  check,  and 


ON  GLASS  AND  PAPER. 


59 


peel  off  the  plate,  the  plates  should  be  varnished  with  a 
solution  of  Gum  Arabic  in  water — 1 part  of  Gum  to  about 
10  parts  of  water,  by  weight.  This  solution  should  be 
well  filtered,  through  filtering  paper,  and  poured  over  the 
Negative  (after  it  has  been  fixed  and  washed),  and  the 
Negative  will  dry  without  peeling. 

If  the  Negative  is  not  wanted  to  preserve,  and  only  a 
few  prints  are  desired,  the  Gum  Arabic  solution  may  be 
used  with  about  double  the  amount  of  Gum.  This  will 
render  it  firm  enough  to  print  from,  and,  when  the  prints 
are  all  made,  the  glass  can  be  cleaned  off  easily,  and  used 
again,  which  would  be  difficult  if  Spirit  Varnish  was  used. 

To  produce  a Yellow  Light  in  the  dark  room,  take  two 
thicknesses  of  thick  Yellow  Paper,  and  cover  the  window, 
if  the  sunlight  falls  strongly  on  it.  If  the  sun  does  not 
strike  it,  one  thickness  will  probably  do.  This  is  better 
than  any  other  kind  of  light,  as  it  enables  the  operator  to 
see  what  he  is  doing. 

Always  wash  the  hands  clean  after  developing  and  fix- 
ing a picture,  before  touching  any  of  the  cloths  or  glasses. 
A small  quantity  of  Developing  or  Fixing  solutions,  on  the 
cloths,  will  soon  get  on  the  glass,  from  thence  into  the 
bath,  and  fogging  will  ensue. 

Exercise  the  utmost  care  and  cleanliness,  in  all  your 
manipulations. 


60 


PRACTICAL  PHOTOGRAPHY. 


The  better  quality  of  glass  you  use,  the  better  the  results 
produced. 

The  Alcoholic  Collodion  possesses  much  better  keeping 
qualities  than  the  ordinary  kind. 

Study  the  Theory  of  the  Negative  Process  in  this 
Work. 

Buy  a copy  of  Hardwick's  Photographic  Chemistry  and 
study  it. 

Take  a standard  Photographic  Journal. 

Do  these  things,  and  you  will  overcome  the  inevitable 
difficulties  that  beset  all  Photographic  Processes. 

Expect  difficulties,  but  do  not  be  disheartened  when 
you  meet  with  them. 

Do  not  expect  to  become  an  accomplished  Photographer 
at  once.  The  seed  is  first  a seed,  then  a shrub,  and’  at 
last  a tree. 

The  more  difficult  the  Art,  the  more  merit  in  acquir- 
ing it. 


_ 


- 


. 

' 


. 


~ ■ 


